There are few industries where the principle behind the phrase ‘work smarter, not harder’ should be embraced more than the healthcare sector. Doctors, nurses, and paramedics work tirelessly to save human lives and help people get better, demonstrating unwavering dedication in every interaction. However, amid growing patient expectations, staffing shortages, and increasing cybersecurity challenges, hospitals must adopt intelligent solutions to deliver optimal care, enhance efficiency, and ensure robust security. The need for Smart Hospitals is on the rise, and at the heart of this transformative moment lies the network.
In today's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, smart hospitals are at the forefront of innovation, experiencing significant growth and a substantial increase in market value projected over the coming years. According to Research and Markets, in 2023, the industry was valued at approximately $57.53 billion and is expected to reach $187.20 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.35%1.
But… what is a smart hospital, exactly? Although there’s no universal definition, the concept of smart hospitals generally encompasses a focus on digitizing information flows, ensuring seamless interoperability between systems, and building a future-proof technology infrastructure to support evolving healthcare needs.
A smart hospital utilizes connected devices, such as IoT-enabled medical equipment, to gather and transmit real-time data to a centralized platform. This data is analyzed to provide actionable insights into patient health, hospital workflows, and staff performance, enabling informed decision-making and improved care quality. Additionally, smart hospitals incorporate automation and artificial intelligence to streamline processes, reduce errors, and achieve better patient outcomes.
The benefits? Off the charts!
Patient care is being revolutionized through innovative approaches, such as virtual consultations, online medical records and personalized treatment. Intelligent technologies enable healthcare facilities not only to create a more personalized and engaging patient experience, but also reduce costs and improve clinical outcomes.
For instance, by utilizing real-time data analytics, smart hospitals can monitor and track patient data, empowering medical staff to respond quickly and effectively. Through enhanced communication and collaboration among staff, as well as optimized resource allocation and inventory management, healthcare providers gain indispensable efficiencies that enable improved outcomes and operational continuity.
Without adopting smart technologies, hospitals of tomorrow may struggle to deliver efficient, patient-centered care, compromising their ability to meet modern healthcare demands.
At the center of it all: the network
As the healthcare industry moves toward a digital future, facilities face distinct challenges, including managing patient data, optimizing energy usage, and enhancing the patient experience. The network is a critical enabler of any smart building initiative, and hospitals and clinics are no exception. Acting as the backbone of modern healthcare services, the network must be both reliable and secure.
For example, a fabric network can connect various devices and systems, allowing healthcare providers to collect and analyze large amounts of data in real-time. This provides valuable insights into patient behavior, inventory and hospital trends, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes and increased efficiency.
On the other hand, Wi-Fi 6E powers smart hospitals with increased speed, bandwidth and mobility. It eliminates coverage gaps through mesh networking, benefits legacy devices and enables wireless workgroup bridging. The dedicated 6 GHz spectrum facilitates high-bandwidth applications like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), transforming clinician training and patient education.
Finally, cloud-enabled network management delivers single pane of glass visibility, management, and control of all wired/wireless users, devices, and applications over the network. With Wi-Fi/RF/Bluetooth threat detection and protection, along with role-based network access and contextual identify profiling, IT leaders can track and support IoT/MIoT devices in their environment.